Children at my grammar school are tutored intensively from the 11-plus to GCSE. It devalues our teaching, skews the playing field and denies them a childhood
‘As my year 7s run off at the end of the day, I am aware that some of them will be spending another couple of hours in tuition centres before attempting homework.’ Photograph: Alamy
In the grammar school where I teach, the vast majority of pupils are tutored – not just for the highly competitive 11-plus entrance exam, but often throughout their school career and sometimes even beyond.
Places at my school are seen as the golden ticket to success. Primary pupils are ferried back and forth to tuition centres several times a week, years before the 11-plus. Some of these centres run intensive holiday courses in years 4 and 5, asking for all-day attendance for a whole week at a time. Children are entered for numerous mock exams. When we hold open evenings, 11-plus tutors tout for business outside the school gates.
